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Sat, 12 Aug 2017 23:46:52 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.1Celebrating a Year in Ireland and an Irish Giveaway!http://takemetotheworld.com/a-year-ireland-irish-giveaway/
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August 12 marks one year anniversary since I got to Dublin. In this post I reflect on the past year. Best of all I have an Irish giveaway for you to enter.

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Today (well the day I’m publishing this post) is August 12, 2017. That means it’s been exactly one year since I first got to Ireland and started this working holiday thing. In some ways it feels like I just got to Ireland, and in other ways it feels like I’ve been here forever.

A post shared by Alouise (@takeme2theworld) on Aug 12, 2017 at 9:04am PDT

The past 12 months has been both frustrating and wonderful. It took a while to get a job, and I’ve had to move more times than I would have liked (although many others have done the same, it’s just reality here in Dublin). But it has been beautiful. There’s so much history here, and people are friendly and always up for a chat, and it’s so damn green. Even in winter when it’s cooler and not as green it’s still green. There’s outdoor flower markets in January, and lots of rain, and occasional bits of sunshine. When the sun is out it’s like everyone gets outside. I’ve gotten used to the temperate weather so now anything below 0C is freezing to me (I know I’m gonna get teased about this when I come home). Everything about +23C is too hot.

Exploration

I’ve seen a bit of Dublin, and got to show my parents around when they visited a few months ago, but there’s a lot I haven’t seen. And there’s small pieces of the rest of Ireland I’ve seen, but not as much I would have liked. My initial plan of “I’m going to travel every week” turned into every month to every other month to every few months, maybe. The cost of living here was higher than I had anticipated. Having to move (3 times in one year) and save up for new damage deposits and potentially higher rents has eaten at the travel budget. But I can’t complain. Outside Ireland also got to travel to Bath, to London, and to Brussels and later this month I’ll be going to Edinburgh. There’s also a trip planned for Copenhagen in November. Hopefully there’ll be more, but those are the for sures.

Learning

And I’ve learned a bit, although I don’t feel Irish and I’m certainly not talking with an accent. I’m gonna do a random slang/words/phrases that confused me post eventually because there were several phrases that confused me when I was first here. But if someone asks if Ireland is my home it is my home for now. It feels like home, but not like Home. Home is Canada, and maybe always will be, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have other homes around the world, and leave little pieces of my heart all over. I don’t know yet. I felt excited when I was asked for directions today and didn’t have to say, “sorry I don’t know I’m not from here” like I would have had to do a year ago. I could actually tell those drunk Brits on the Luas, “yes this is Jervis Street where you want to get off.”

The first photo I took in Dublin. This is the Liffey River with the Ha’Penny Bridge in the background.

So that’s a jumble of random things and thoughts about being here for a year. I think it’s too early for me to tell what affect Ireland has on me or will have. I probably won’t know until I get back to Canada, and it’ll hit me like a ton of bricks. Or maybe it’ll be slow, random realisations throughout my life. The point being I’m probably too close to see everything now, so I’m going to enjoy the last year I have here in Ireland. I’m going to try to see and do what I can (without pushing myself). I’m going to try to take advantage of being close to other places in Europe too, although I’ve learned I probably won’t get to go everywhere I want in the next 12 months (because I want to go everywhere).

Giveaway

And here’s some news. Since it’s been a year since I’ve been in Ireland I thought I’d do a little giveaway for my readers. Also you may have read my posts about winning contests, and so I want to make sure one of you has the chance to win something as well. I’ll be giving away a small souvenir prize pack from Dublin. This isn’t sponsored by anyone (a.k.a I’m buying the prizes myself). Since I want to open this to everyone in the world the prize will be small (some postcards, a magnet, and maybe something else) so I can afford to ship it to wherever the winner lives.

Anyone over 13 can enter (though if you’re under 18 please get your parents/guardians permission to enter). Just use the widget below to enter. You can login/sign up with an email or through Facebook. To be guaranteed an entry you have to leave a blog comment. Be sure to go to the Rafflecopter widget and follow the instructions for your entry to count. You can gain bonus entries by following me on Facebook and Twitter, and by Tweeting (through Rafflecopter) a link to this post. Be sure you have a valid email address for contact because I’ll be contacting the winner on August 20th. Full rules can be found in the terms and conditions below.

So that’s life a year in Ireland. Now I want to know, if you’ve been to Ireland what was your favourite place, and if not what place in Ireland would you love to visit. Remember leave a comment below and go back to the Rafflecopter widget to confirm your entry for the giveaway.

This week’s Photo Friday is of the icon Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland, which you may recognize from the series Game of Thrones.

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Back in April I took a quick trip to Northern Ireland. I spent the first day in the Belfast where I did a walking tour and went to Titanic Belfast. The next day I went on a tour to the Giant’s Causeway. The tour had a few stopovers including the first one of the day, a visit to The Dark Hedges in County Antrim.

“We’re coming up to our photo stop at the Dark Hedges. You’ll recognize this spot as The Kings Road from Game of Thrones,” the tour guide points out. People are excitedly talking about Game of Thrones. I turn to the girl sitting next to me and ask, “is it bad to say I haven’t seen a single episode of Game of Thrones?” She confesses she hasn’t seen it either. We bond over our lack of watching this shared piece of pop cultural.

So yes I haven’t watched Game of Thrones, but I do know the series is big and part of it is (or has been) filmed in Northern Ireland. In Belfast there is a studio in the Titanic Quarter called Titanic Studios where parts of the series have been filmed, but there have been many on-location shoots (like the one for the Dark Hedges, or so I’m told). I met several people during my short visit in Northern Ireland who had a part behind the scenes (or knew someone who did) with Game of Thrones.

The real story of the Dark Hedges has to do with the Stuart family. In 1775 James Stuart built a Georgian mansion called Gracehill House (named after his wife Grace Lyn). The Stuart family decided to plant a row of beech trees along the laneway to greet visitors coming to Gracehill House. Of course at the time the trees weren’t that big, but over 200 years later they’ve grown into these iconic, massive twisted trees. The area is also known for wildlife like the brambling bird and wood mouse. It is also said that there is a ghost called The Grey Lady who haunts these parts.

While I wasn’t geeking out over the Game of Thrones connection the Dark Hedges was a cool spot, and I wish we had a little bit more time here. And when I eventually do watch Game of Thrones there’ll be a part of the show where I can say, “I’ve been there.”

Being a filming location from Game of Thrones the Dark Hedges is quite popular. Should you want to avoid the crowds you may want to rent a car and visit early. There is parking at the nearby Hedges Estate Hotel (139a Ballinlea Road, Stranocum, County Antrim Ballymoney). The Dark Hedges is at The Dark Hedges, Bregagh Road, Stranocum, Ballymoney, UK. A general map of the area is below. This area is part of The Dark Hedges Preservation Fund. Visitors should respect this area by not littering or damaging these historic trees.

Have you been to The Dark Hedges? Am I missing out not watching Game of Thrones? Tell me in the comments below.

This is the final part in a two part series about how to win travel contests. This part include mistakes to avoid including a section on contest scams.

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This is the final installment of the two-part series about Tips for Winning Travel Contests. Read Tips for Winning Travel Contests Part 1 – Which Contests to Enter here.

Disclaimer: While this post has advice about entering travel contests it is for informational purposes only. I assume no responsibility or liability for any action you choose to take or not take because of this post. Aside from winning one legitimate charity raffle (Passports With Purpose) all contests I’ve entered and won have been contests that are free to enter. If you have to “pay to enter” or make a purchase do some research and double check the contest you are entering is legitimate and not a scam. A legit contest should always have the option of entering without purchase.

In the first part of this series I talked about the contests I’ve won, which has been a good few. I also mentioned how it’s important to enter travel contests. Even if you don’t think you’ll win it’s always worth it to enter.

Well it’s actually not that straightforward. There are actually several contests I won’t enter, and there are a few mistakes you should avoid making when entering travel contests.

Tips for Winning Travel Contests – Mistakes to Avoid

The Mistake – Falling for Contest Scams

This mistake is at the top because in my opinion it is the most important rule. You don’t want to fall for contest scams. At best it’ll be a waste of your time. At the worst it could cost you a lot of money, and even your personal information/identity. Unfortunately there are contest scammers out there. These scams might look legitimate at first, but they’re not. They’re trying to get you to part with your money, and sometimes even personal information (like your passport or credit card number, which could be used in identity theft). Here are some things to help you decide if a contest is legitimate or not.

Is the company/brand hosting the contest a legitimate company? Is it one you’ve heard of before? Have they been around a while? That’s not to say a new company/brand can’t host a travel contest, but if suddenly there’s a company/brand that comes out of nowhere and is hosting a contest with some amazing luxury vacation prize it could be a bit of a red flag. Do some more research.

Similarly to the first point, are the prize sponsors legitimate companies? Are the companies ones you’re familiar with or have heard of yourself? Have they been around a while. If a contest seems to be run by a company/brand you’ve never heard of with a vacation prize from a company you’ve never heard of it very well could be a scam.

Are they asking for money, bank, or credit card details? If they are this is very likely a scam. Now I should say there are charity raffles where you can donate money in exchange for a raffle ticket or entry into a contest. This is what I did a few years back with Passports with Purpose (a great yearly travel charity fundraiser, which has since ended). I made a few $20 entries and won a $500 travel voucher. However the difference between a charity raffle/fundraiser and a scam is that the charity will be registered in the country it’s in, and you should (depending on your country’s laws) be able to get a tax deductible receipt for your donation. If it’s not a registered charity and a legitimate company then you should not pay anything for a chance to win. Even in a contest where it says you need to make a purchase there should be a way to enter without making a purchase (like the trip I won to New Orleans).

Are they asking for too much information? Asking for your name, contact email and/phone, and maybe your home address is legitimate. They may need you to confirm (usually by checking a box) that you’re the age of majority (particularly if the contest is hosted by alcohol brand). Maybe you’ll have to enter a skill testing question to prove you’re a person and not a robot. If a contest asks you for your ID, passport, bank/personal finance information (as mentioned before) or any other personal information be wary. While you may need to provide passport information to claim a prize involving international travel you shouldn’t need your passport just to enter a contest.

Is something else off? Are you getting a weird, gut feeling not to enter? Did you “win” a contest you don’t recall entering? I always think it’s best to trust your intuition. If something seems weird then don’t enter, or at least do some more research first.

These are just a few things to lookout for in regards to possible contest scams. While it’s geared to American readers the About Contest page is a great resource for contest scams. If you think a contest is scam contact your local police department to report your suspicions. Help other people by putting the scam to an end.

The Mistake – Entering with an Automatic Form

Most travel contests I enter are online and the entry forms are pretty easy to complete. Many just require some basic information like your name and contact details (usually phone number/email and sometimes an address). When you’re entering multiple contests a day it can be a bit of an annoyance to retype the same information over and over. You might think about using an auto-fill program (like Google Chrome has) to make entering your contests easy.

I’d caution against using autofills. Many times if you check the contest rules/regulations using automatic entry programs, including autofills are against the contest rules. If you use these programs when they’re not allowed you’re basically voiding your entry and wasting your time. If the contest prohibits autofills or any other sort of automatic entry make sure to type everything in the old fashion way so your entry will not be in valid.

The Mistake – Entering Popularity Contests

You’ve probably seen these contests, where you have to get people to vote for your photo/video/tweet/writing, etc. These contests are a pain to enter and annoying to see because you’ll often see people overwhelming their friends, family and complete strangers with “Vote for Me!” pleads on social media. I never liked popularity contests in High School, and they’re just as annoying to me now.

Now that’s not to say you can’t enter popularity or voting contests, just be cognizant of how many you’re entering and how often your begging your friends/family/colleagues/that guy you met at a college party once ten years ago/random strangers to vote for you to win a trip to Hawaii. Don’t be spamming (for lack of a better term) the same people over and over and over again.

The Mistake – Not Knowing Your Talents/Skills

There are some contests where the winner is picked based on a skill or talent, rather than being randomly selected. It helps to know what your skills are and where you should spend your time entering contests. As an example I’m not a videographer so I’ll skip over contests where you have to make a video essay to win. It just doesn’t make sense for me to spend time entering a contest with a skill or talent I’m not that good at (yet). Now writing contests I will enter, and I have won a few travel writing contests before.

The way I think about skill-based contests is like this, am I okay with spending my time on creating this entry even if I don’t win? Basically if the contest is for a skill or talent I have or one I’d like to spend time developing (and if the contest isn’t a scam and I actually want to win the prize) then I’m okay with entering a skill based contest. Or take it like this. I’m a writer, so I like entering writing contests because it helps me develop my skills. Even if I don’t win anything I feel the time spent honing and developing my writing is worth it. I’m not a graphic designer, and I don’t have any desire to be a graphic designer. Entering a contest where I have to create a graphic design is just wasting my time because I don’t have that talent and it’s not something I have a desire to develop.

The Mistake – Entering Complicated Contests

Filling out a form, maybe sharing a contest on social media is one thing, but I only have so much time in a day (I have other things to do aside from entering contests). If a contest is really complicated to enter then I probably won’t enter it (unless the prize is amazing and worth the extra effort). One time I saw a contest where you filled out an entry form and then only if you referred a friend to the contest, and they referred another friend would your original entry get counted. It was like the pyramid scheme of contests. Not worth it. Entering and winning contests is fun, but you still need to live your life.

The Mistake – Not Knowing BEDMAS

All right so this rule might just be for my fellow Canadians. See in Canada contests have to have a skill testing question for people to answer. This usually takes the form of math question. I was never great at math, but I do remember the rule of BEDMAS from entering so many contests. That is first you do anything in Brackets, then any exponents (which I haven’t seen in contests, but it could happen), then any multiplication or division (whatever is first on the left), and then any addition/subtraction (again whatever is first on the left). BEDMAS is acronym to help you remember this rule.

So 2+10X100 = 1002. You do the multiplication of 10X100 first, then the addition of +2. Or take (15÷3)x13+7 = 72. First you do the bracket (which gives you 5). Then you multiply that by 13 (giving you 65) and then you add 7 giving the final answer of 72.

I can’t believe I just did two math problems on my travel blog and explained a math rule. I hate math, but to win a contest I’ll do some math. To be honest though most skill testing questions are pretty simple 2+2 sort of thing.

The Mistake – Enter Contests with Unrealistic Travel Expectations

There will always be travel restrictions on the prize. Depending on where you live you might have to pay taxes and fees, so you’ll have to decide if the prize is worth taking. One time I saw a contest to win a trip to Costa Rica. Sounds great, right? Well the prize only included airfare from Miami. If I entered I’d need to pay my own airfare (about $800 at the time) for a last minute flight to Miami, which was something I couldn’t afford at the time.

The Prize – Entering Contests You Can’t Win

This is something I’ve noticed now that I live in Ireland. There are contests here that I can’t enter because I’m not an Irish citizen. Yet there are contests with sponsors back home in Canada that I can’t enter right now either, because either the prize is back in Canada or I’d have to be in Canada to claim the prize. This is one reason why I like entering online contests because many (not all) are open to citizens world wide. I also like entering contests where the prize is a voucher for a hotel or airline rather than a trip itself. With a hotel voucher you can usually use it in a variety of locations. If you win a trip/vacation somewhere then you’ve got more restrictions on where/when you can use your prize.

This Mistake – Not Checking Your Email or Phone

When you enter a contest the rules will tell you when and how they will be contacting the winner. I have a secondary email (to prevent my main emails from being inundated with contest sponsor emails) to enter contests. Even still I remember to check my contest email every day. If you’re contacted as a winner make sure to respond right away, because if you wait too long then you might be disqualified and they’ll have to choose another winner. You don’t want to mess up that.

The Mistake – Not Having a Passport

When I won that trip to New Orleans it was for 2 people, so I called a friend and asked if she wanted to come with me. Of course she said yes, but the problem was her Passport had expired. We had to show we had a valid passport for international travel (since we were flying from Canada) to claim the prize, so my friend had to pay for a rush passport. It was a tight squeeze, but she managed to get it just in time. If you’re entering travel contests I’d recommend getting a valid passport ahead of time. Actually you should just always have a passport because it’s a great incentive to help you travel.

The Mistake – Only Entering Travel Contests

I’ve focused on travel contests because I love traveling, but that’s not to say those are the only contests you should enter. I have a friend who loves going to the movies and she always seems to be winning free movie tickets. If the prize is one you want, if the contest is legitimate, and if you are legally allowed to enter then go for it.

I hope this series has given you some information to help you enter contests, and has inspired you to enter a few contests for yourself.

Have you won any contests? Leave a comment below.

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]]>http://takemetotheworld.com/tips-for-winning-travel-contests-mistakes-avoid/feed/0Tips for Winning Travel Contests Part 1 – Which Contests to Enterhttp://takemetotheworld.com/tips-for-winning-travel-contests/
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Tips for winning travel contests is a 2 part series where I’ll share my tips on how to win trip contests.

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This isn’t something I’ve talked before on this platform, but I like entering travel contests. I probably like entering contests because I’ve won a few (about 20 or so, though I’ve stopped keeping track). The prizes I’ve gotten have been as small as a free app for my smartphone to free hotel stays. My biggest score was an all-expense paid trip to New Orleans.

Disclaimer. While this post has advice about entering travel contests it is for informational purposes only. I assume no responsibility or liability for any action you choose to take or not take because of this post. Aside from winning one legitimate charity raffle (Passports With Purpose) all contests I’ve entered and won have been contests that are free to enter. If you have to “pay to enter” or make a purchase do some research and double check the contest you are entering is legitimate and not a scam. A legit contest should always have the option of entering without purchase.

First A Note On Being Lucky

Even though I’ve won a few contests I am not luckier than anyone else. My name was just randomly drawn for some of the contests I entered. In a few cases I won a contest because I was evaluated on a skill (usually writing), and some people thought my contest entry was the strongest one submitted. In a couple circumstances I won something because I was one of the first people to comment on a specific blog post that was giving away a prize. Yes, sometimes winning is that easy.

My Tips for Winning Contests

Actually Enter Contests

This might sound silly and obvious, but sometimes we overlook these simple things. Some people might have a defeatist attitude when it comes to contests. Why bother trying ? I’ll never win. They don’t enter the contest, which means obviously they won’t win the contest. Don’t have that attitude. Actually go ahead and have that attitude if you want. The fewer contests you enter the better chance I have of winning, right?

I do believe in having a positive attitude. Maybe you can call it the law of attraction or whatnot, but I think what you put out is what you get back. When you enter a contest don’t put out a negative “I’ll never win attitude.” Be positive and hopeful. You’re entering a contest. You’re not getting a root canal. This should be fun.

My latest contest win was a 2 night apartment stay in London, UK. On that trip I got to visit the Natural History Museum, which I’d never done on my previous two visits.

Enter Contests With Better Odds of Winning

I’m horrible at math, but I know I have better odds winning a contest with a 1 in 10 chance of winning than a contest with a 1 in 1,000,000 chance of winning. I like entering blog hosted contests because they’re usually smaller contests with better odds of winning. Of course better odds of winning doesn’t guarantee a win, and I have entered (and won) larger contests too. No matter the odds the worst thing that can happen is that I won’t win, and then I am no worse off than before.

Enter Contests You Want To Win

I’m not an adventure sports traveler. A contest to win a week of rock climbing and camping doesn’t sound like my idea of fun. If the prize doesn’t appeal to you then don’t enter the contest. With contests most prizes can’t be transferred or sold. Entering contests that you don’t want to win only decreases the odds of winning for the people who do want that prize.

Take Time Entering Contest When Necessary

Some contests you just have to fill out a form with your basic information (name, age, etc) and maybe enter a skill-testing question (in Canada at least). Other contests you might also have to write a story, submit a photo, or a video or show some other skill/talent. If the odds of winning depends on a skill that you’ll be evaluated on then take the time to submit the best entry you can.

Use Social Media When Needed

Some contests will give you extra entries for sharing your contest entries on social media. Just be careful not to constantly bombard your followers with contest information. One trick I use to overwhelm my Facebook friends with contest information is I’ll share different contests with specific friends who might be interested in it. My 80 year old grandmother isn’t going to be interested in a trip to Las Vegas, but my 30 year old cousin might be.

Make sure to check the terms and conditions to see if sharing will increase you odds of winning. Sometimes a sharing Facebook or Twitter sharing box will pop up after you submit a contest entry online, but if you check the rules sharing the contest won’t increase your chances of winning. If that’s the case I’ll only share that contest if it’s something my followers would be interested in.

I took a friend with me to New Orleans and she really wanted to do a cemetery tour. This is one we did with Save Our Cemeteries a volunteer-based organization committed to preserving and restoring cemeteries in New Orleans. It was a really neat tour.

Keep Track Of The Contests You Enter

You might not like creating spreadsheets as much as I do, but I have a spreadsheet where I keep track of what contests I’ve entered, when I entered, and when the contest ends. Furthermore I have contests where I can enter daily separated from contests limited to one-time entries. Keeping track of the contests you’ve entered won’t give you better odds of winning, but it can prevent you from accidentally entering a contest multiple times. With some contests you may be limited to one entry so entering multiple times, even by accident, could void your entry all together.

Yes. I am a nerd.

Read The Rules

Yes, reading the rules is boring, but you want to make sure you are legally allowed to enter the contest. You want to know when the contest ends, how many times you’re allowed to enter, and if there are other restrictions (for example some contests allow only one entry per household, not per person). Other things you’ll want to find out would be when the draw date for the prize is, how winners will be contacted, how much time prize winners have to claim their prize, and if there are conditions are attached to the prize. Reading the rules is boring, but it’s important.

A Short Story on Why You Should Read The Fine Print for Contests

Once upon a time there was a traveler named Alouise who fell in love with the city of New Orleans when she went there in June 2012. She was sad when she had to come home, and knew she would have to go back to the city again. One day she saw a certain liquor brand was holding a contest to win a weekend trip to New Orleans. The website said you had to purchase any specially marked bottles of said liquor brand to get a pin number. Then you could use the pin to enter an online form to win a trip to New Orleans.

Alouise never had this particular type of liquor before. She didn’t want to buy a bunch of liquor she might not like, even for the chance spend a weekend in one of her favourite cities. So she decided to read the contest rules. Wondrous news appeared when she learned she wouldn’t have to make a purchase. All she would need to do is send an email to the contest organizer to request a pin for a contest entry.

Alouise sent an email to the contest organizer requesting a pin for the New Orleans contest. Within a day she received a response and a pin number. Excitedly she enter the pin number into the online contest form, and thought about the amazing time she would have in New Orleans when she won this trip. A few weeks later she got a fantastic email telling she had won the trip for two to New Orleans. While the trip was very short (there was only 36 hours in New Orleans) and she was exhausted when she got home she had a great time, and was excited she got to back to a city she loved. Alouise was very glad she read the fine print and decided to enter the contest. If she hadn’t she would have never got the chance to go back to one of her favourite cities for free. The end.

Hopefully you’ll be able to put some of these tips to use to help you win some travel contests. Coming up in the second part of this series I’ll talk about some of the mistakes you should avoid when entering travel contests.

This post has not been sponsored or endorsed by any particular organisation or brand. All views and opinions in this post are my own.

On July 1, 2017 Canada will be turning 150. For this photo friday I thought I’d share seeing the world’s largest Canada goose (statue) in Wawa, Ontario.

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This post is being published on Friday June 30, 2017. The next day (July 1st) is Canada Day and this year Canada is 150 years old. Of course I’m living in Ireland right now, so I’ll be celebrating Canada Day abroad. Don’t worry I’ve made Nanaimo bars to enjoy. I tracked down a bar in Dublin that’s serving Caesars. I plan to liberally use the word eh more than normal. Maybe I’ll call someone a hoser. Who knows, eh?

To celebrate Canada Day I wanted to share this photo of a Canada goose statue I took in Wawa, Ontario. Yes that’s the name of the town. A few years I was on a road trip from Calgary, Alberta to Richmond Hill, Ontario. This was the first time I’d done a road trip of this scope by myself. While I’d visited Toronto before I’d never driven in Ontario. One thing I didn’t realize until that particular trip was how big Ontario is (and how beautiful it is as well). I’d spent a night in Thunder Bay and thought I’d be able to drive right onto to Sault Ste. Marie or Sudbury, but it was too much driving in one day (for me). So I stopped in Wawa for a night.

World’s Largest Canada Goose in Wawa, Ontario, Canada. Beauty, eh?

Road trips are something I love and if there’s some cheesy road side attraction (“the world’s largest”) then I’m game. Wawa, Ontario claims fame to the world’s largest Canada goose. Actually the town recently unveiled another Canadian goose statue in honour of the Canada 150 celebration. Both statues are 8.5 metres high.

Belfast is home to the famous Titanic Belfast. Here’s what it’s like visiting Titanic Belfast on April 14, 105 years to the day after the Titanic sank.

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In 2016 Titanic Belfast won the award for Best Museum in the World. Belfast is the city where they built the famous RMS Titanic. It may seem strange to visit a museum about a ship that sank and killed over a thousand people. Titanic Belfast is a museum that shows the city’s history with shipbuilding. In April I decided to book a quick trip to Belfast. Coincidentally I realised I’d be in Belfast on April 14. That’s the night the Titanic sank in 1912.

Shipbuilding in Belfast

The Titanic Belfast Museum is in the aptly named Titanic Quarter. Titanic Belfast sits on the former shipyard for Harland & Wolff, which is the company that built the Titanic. Belfast has been an important city in the shipbuilding industry. Titanic Belfast starts by going through what Belfast was like in the late 19th century. It focuses on the important industries of the day linens, textiles, and shipbuilding.

During the early 1900’s Belfast went through an economic boom, thanks in part to building The Titanic.

H&W started building The Titanic for White Star Line in 1908. The building of the Titanic in Belfast was a huge for the city. It already had strong shipbuilding roots and had been building the best ships in the world. Building The Titanic created jobs for hundreds of men. It was going to put Belfast on the map. We all know that unfortunately, Titanic did not survive her maiden voyage. As people in Belfast would later say about the Titanic, “she was fine when she left Belfast.”

On Board and After

Titanic Belfast shows how they built this massive ship. Interactive exhibits show the architectural design of the ship. You get to see what the rooms were like for the 1st class, 2nd class, and 3rd class passengers. I learned that 3rd class accommodations were affordable and very nice for their time. Sadly it was many 3rd class passengers who lost their lives when Titanic sank.

Of course, Titanic Belfast talks about the ship’s demise. It details some accounts of the lives lost. There’s a computer that will let find victims by gender and country. It also describes the lives of those saved, like the Unsinkable Molly Brown. There are theories on what caused the sinking. There’s a section on how safety standards on ships have changed since Titanic. Much of this is in regards to the number of lifeboats required on the ship.

Titanic Belfast then goes into the discovery of the Titanic wreckage. There is also information about what happened to The RMS Olympic and The HMHS Britannic. Both ships were used in WW1. The Britannic was used as a hospital ship. It sank on Nov 21, 1916 off the coast of Kea Greece killing 30 people. The sinking was due to an explosion from an underground mine. The Olympic was used as a transport ship. It was decommissioned in 1935 and then demolished. Had Titanic not sank she would have likely been used in WW1 as well.

A Night to Remember

Being at Titanic Belfast on April 14 this is year also happened to coincide with Good Friday. Being a holiday (and one where the pubs close for a good part of the day) meant Titanic Belfast was very busy. Luckily I booked a ticket for a special event that evening called A Night to Remember. This unique tour was offered after hours to commemorate the sinking of the Titanic. It only happens once a year on April 14. Costumed interpreters were there and talked about the Titanic. Their stories were true to life stories about the Titanic from the book A Night to Remember by Walter Lord.

The Band

There’s one part of the museum, where they address the sinking. The room you enter is dark, except tiny lights above to symbolise the stars in the night sky. You can hear the beeps of Morse code that the ship was sending out, a distress call for help. During The Night to Remember event a live quartet was playing the hymn Nearer My God to Thee. On the Titanic, the ship’s band went down playing that song over and over. For those that died, it was the last song they ever heard. Years later survivors of The Titanic were interviewed about their experience. Many remembered hearing that song as they watched the ship sink. It was pretty moving, and not only because the band playing was fantastic.

The Story of Survivors

At the end of the tour, a local pastor accounted a few more stories of those who survived. My favourite was about Charles Joughin a chef on board Titanic. When he realised the ship was sinking, he decided to get drunk, like really drunk. He survived being in the frigid cold waters of the Atlantic for several hours. Some believe it’s because the alcohol kept him warm. Likely there was another factor at play in his survival, but the alcohol angle makes for a better story. Also disclaimer I don’t condone or endorse drinking copious amounts of alcohol to keep warm in cold climates. Guys that’s not safe. Mr Joughin was pretty damn lucky to survive. After the stories, a candlelight vigil was held in remembrance of the victims.

Should You Visit Titanic Belfast?

Titanic Belfast is a museum that has so much history and goes into details about this ship and Belfast that I didn’t even know that I didn’t know. It shows some of the history of this city and its shipbuilding industry. It tells the stories of what that tragic maiden voyage. Everyone who survived the Titanic sinking has long passed away. Titanic Belfast will make sure people will always know their stories and the history of the Titanic. If you’re visiting Belfast, the Titanic Belfast is worth a visit. I only regret I didn’t get to spend more time here (and that I didn’t upgrade for an audioguide). Next time I’m in Belfast I’m going to revisit Titanic Belfast. Although I’d advise not going on a National Holiday like I did. It was much busier than normal.

Titanic Belfast is located at 1 Olympic Way, Queens Road, Titanic Quarter, Belfast. A general map of the area is below. Standard adult admission is £18 and audio guides (available to rent in several languages) are £3. There is a reduced admission rate of £9 valid for the last hour the museum is open. Hours of operation vary throughout the year. Tickets can be purchased online, which I’d recommend to save time, especially during the busy tourist season.

Disclaimer: Titanic Belfast offered me a complimentary ticket to the Titanic Belfast, which I am very grateful for. I paid for my ticket for the A Night to Remember event. All opinions here are my own.

This edition of photo friday is a throwback to four years ago when I visited Niagara Falls and walked across The Rainbow Bridge from Canada to the U.S.

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I know I have posted anything since last photo Friday. I was going to put another post up, but then it occurred to me that it was Friday again (gee time goes fast) and I should post a Photo Friday photo. And no, I’m not back in Canada yet. Four years ago I decided to drive across Canada (well part of it, from Calgary to Toronto) to attend a conference. I got to visit a lot of places in my country I’d never seen before, including Niagara Falls.

Crossing The Rainbow Bridge from Canada to the U.S. On the right is Canada and on the left is the U.S. including Niagara Falls State Park. in the dances you can see the spray from the infamous Horseshoe Falls, one of the three waterfalls in Niagara Falls.

Niagara Falls is a small city that borders Canada (in Ontario) and the United States (in New York State). It’s well known of its massive waterfalls (and surprisingly on the Canadian side many commercialized and cheesy attractions). Anyway The Rainbow Bridge is not multicoloured, but it is a pedestrian and vehicle bridge that connects the Canadian and American sides of Niagara Falls. As someone from Edmonton Alberta, a city that’s a 6 hour drive from the US border, the fact I could walk across a bridge into another country was something I had to do.

Of course this is a legal border crossing and you’ll be interviewed by someone from customs (on both the Canadian and American side). You’ll you need to have your passport (and any visas you might need). There’s also a 50 cent toll for pedestrians to pay each way (either Canadian or American currency is accepted).

For me it was worth crossing The Rainbow Bridge to spend an hour or so in the US. Especially when I could stop and take pictures like the one above.

Have you ever walked across to another country?

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]]>http://takemetotheworld.com/photo-friday-view-niagara-rainbow-bridge/feed/1Photo Friday | View of Bath from Bathwick Hillhttp://takemetotheworld.com/view-bath-bathwick-hill/
http://takemetotheworld.com/view-bath-bathwick-hill/#respondFri, 12 May 2017 21:35:06 +0000http://takemetotheworld.com/?p=21521This is post is from TakeMeToTheWorld.com

Photo Friday will feature a photo I haven’t shared yet on Take Me to the World or my social media channels. This week is a view of Bath from Bathwick Hill.

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I take a lot of photos when I travel. I’m restarting a Photo Friday series here on Take Me to the World where I’m going to share a photo that I haven’t featured here on Take Me to the World or any of my social media channels. First up is a photo I took last year of Bath from Bathwick Hill.

View of Bath from Bathwick Hill.

When I went to Bath last year, I stayed at the YHA Bath Hostel. It was a nice little hostel for the few nights I was there, but it was located on Bathwick Hill. This meant I had to walk up the hill to get to my hostel and had to walk down to get into town. Could I have taken a bus or gotten a cab to get to/from my hostel and into the main area of Bath? Sure, but walking up and down a big hill once or twice a day means burning more calories, so you can have more dessert. That’s just science.

The other good thing about staying at this hostel was I found the Bath Skyline Walk from the National Trust. It’s located on Bathwick Hill, go past the Tesco Express on you’ll see signs on the right side. Being a skyline walk it’s a car-free zone, though you might be able to find some street parking on Bathwick Hill. It’s only about a 15-minute walk from Bath, but it feels like it could be in another world.

The Bath Skyline walk offers beautiful views of Bath among a setting of rolling fields covered in frost (if you visit in December like I did). You can see Bath Abbey to the right in this photo, and while not noticeable in this photo The Roman Baths are right beside it, and the Theatre Royal is only a few block away. The unique style of Georgian architecture and the Bath stone (a honey-coloured limestone is used in many of the buildings in Bath) stands out against the winter skies.

I always love getting a birds-eye-view when I travel to a new place. While you can pay to go up to the tower of Bath Abbey, I enjoyed this view from Bathwick Hill. It’s free, offers a lovely view of the city, and is a good way to get some nature into your visit to Bath. I can only imagine how pretty the rolling green fields of Bathwick Hill would be now that it’s spring.

Full disclosure I paid for my own stay at YHA Bath and this post is not endorsed or affiliated with them in any way.

Bath is a small city in the UK that is well known for The Roman Baths. Here’s why you should visit this amazing site.

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Bath is a small city in the English countryside. Bristol Airport (the closest airport to Bath) is about 30 minutes by bus. Bath is a two-hour train ride from London, and so many people come to Bath a day trip. Bath is a unique city because it’s one of only a few in the world where the entire city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While I recommend spending at least a couple of days to get to see this beautiful city if you’re just going to be here for the day, then my top recommendation is to visit The Roman Baths.

A Little Bit About The Roman Empire in Bath

Way back in the day the Romans were busy expanding their empire. In about 60AD the Romans got about to where present day Bath is located and saw it had a hot spring. Being fans of public bath houses, they decided to set up a Roman post in this far west region of their empire. They named the site Aquae Sulis, which I believe translates directly to, “hey guys check out how hot this water is here. Isn’t this crazy? We should totally use this naturally hot springs water and build a fancy public bath house with like pipes and basic plumbing and everything. I mean we’ll use lead pipes, and we don’t know that lead is poisonous, but whatevs. Bath time!!!”

Or maybe they named it after the goddess Sulis Minerva (actual translation is – the water of Sulis). Sulis was originally a goddess of the Celtic people that lived in the area. The Romans kind of just merged this Celtic goddess of Sulis with their goddess of Minerva. There are instances of Celtic Gods having Roman counterparts, but it’s less common for goddesses. Sulis Minerva was pretty much only worshiped at Aquae Sulis.

The Roman Baths

There are Roman ruins in plenty of places in Europe (and Africa), but aside from seeing an old Roman wall in London, Bath was my first big Roman ruins experience. It’s one of the best preserved Roman baths in the world. Admission rangers £15.50 to £17.00 depending on the time of year and time of day of your visit. The Roman Baths offer a free audio guide in several languages. As well they have guided tours that run on the hour starting at 10am. I highly recommend getting the audio guide and going on the guided tour (both included in the admission price). The guided tour gives you lots of information at the Roman Baths.

This is the great bath at the Roman Baths in Bath. One thing I learned on my tour was there were several baths at this Bath House, although this was this biggest one. The water here is naturally about 46C (114F), which is why it’s always a bit steamy.

The Romans had a whole ritual before you could go into the bath. Both men and women could use the main bath, but had separate changing/cleaning areas/plunge pools/entrances. The change rooms event had heated floors. The floors here were raised up on stacks of tiles that allowed warm air from an oven at one end of the room (stoked by Roman slaves) to circulate through. Those Romans were pretty clever.

The Romans also didn’t just use the bath house as a way to relax (like a spa day as people would now). It was also seen as a place to do business. Trades and deals were often done at the bath house. Imagine having a business meeting at a thermal spa.

There was also a market place at the bath house. Archaeologists that excavated in this area found piles of oyster shells, which gives evidence there was a food stall here that sold oysters. Street food Roman style.

The Museum

Aside from seeing the main bath, and other areas the Romans used, like the plunge pools and changing areas there is a museum that contains artifacts found at the bath house. A lot of these items were found at the Temple for Sulis Minerva. The temple had its own bath for the Goddess (the Sacred Spring) where people could worship Sulis Minerva. If a local Roman had been wronged they would write a curse on lead or pewter against whoever wronged them and throw it in the sacred spring. It was believed Sulis Minerva would intervene and bring justice for the transgression. Perhaps not surprising many people wrote curses because someone had stolen their clothes while they were at the bathhouse. Too bad the Romans didn’t invent lockers and padlocks.

Floor tiles on display at the museum at the Roman Baths.

After The Romans

After the Roman Empire fell and the Romans left Bath other people moved in and started using the thermal waters. In Victorian times it was believed the waters at Bath had healing properties so people who were sick or injured often journeyed to Bath to heal themselves. In the 18th Century architects John Wood the Elder and John Wood the Younger (a father and son who designed many famous building in Bath) designed the building around the sacral spring. The Pump Room, which is now a restaurant, was designed by Thomas Baldwin and John Palmer. Today the buildings that you see above street level at The Roman Baths were not there in Roman times, but added on later.

Can You Go in the Water?

Short answer no. Long answer the pools at the Roman Baths definitely has lead (from those lead pipes the Roman used). The water also has infectious diseases. Swimming was common in the main bath until 1978 when a young girl swimming there died of meningitis. Since then the water at the Roman Baths have been a look, don’t touch, kind of deal. If you want to experience the thermal waters natural to the area The Thermae Spa close to The Roman Baths (which I personally didn’t visit) will let you to do so.

While the water at the Roman Baths (including the main one) is drained and the facilities cleaned the ancient lead pipes still in the water, and potential parasites means this particular water isn’t safe to go in or drink.

Can You Drink the Water?

No! Well except in one particular place in The Roman Baths, which is at a fountain at the end of the museum (there’ll be sign telling you it’s okay to drink this water). The water here is naturally quite warm there’s a definite sulphur-like kind of smell. While people before believed the waters they were drinking would heal them they were essentially drinking water contaminated by lead pipes (not so healing). This fountain has a filtration system that uses the natural spring water in the area, but not the water in The Roman Baths poisoned by the lead pipes, so it’s safe to drink.

Did I drink this supposedly magical (safe) water? Yes, and I can confidently say it’s not the best thing I’ve ever drank in my life, but it’s certainly not the worst (I’m looking at you lemon milk that I made when I was 6). I don’t think it really helped me get rid of the cold I had during my visit (at least not quicker than usual). However month later back in Dublin a regular customer at my work said I looked really young. I visited Bath only a few months back, and drank the restorative water from the fountain. Coincidence? I think not. Wait it could have been because of the new haircut I got. Nah, it was definitely that weird tasting warm water.

The Roman Baths are located on Stall Street in Bath. They are right next to Bath Abbey. The Roman Baths are open daily from 9am to 5pm, but I’d advise going when they first open before the queues are too long. Despite the fact it can get busy The Roman Baths are a fascinating site and well worth a visit.

Have you been to The Roman Baths in Bath before?

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]]>http://takemetotheworld.com/roman-baths-in-bath/feed/1On Going Back to Londonhttp://takemetotheworld.com/on-going-back-london/
http://takemetotheworld.com/on-going-back-london/#commentsMon, 03 Apr 2017 22:06:34 +0000http://takemetotheworld.com/?p=21399This is post is from TakeMeToTheWorld.com

Why did I go back to London (for the third time) when there are so many other places in Europe I want to see?

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I want to apologise (sorry I’m Canadian it’s in my nature) for being absent from this blog. For those who don’t know earlier last month, I had to move to a new residence in Dublin again, and it’s gotten busier at my work (I worked St. Patrick’s Day at a pub…that was an experience). I’ve neglected this blog too long, and so I want to share some of my travels with all of you. I still haven’t written about my trips to Bath and Galway (soon I promise). First, I want to talk about my most recent visit to London.

I stood on the left side of the escalator with the strap of my small overnight bag digging into my shoulders. Commuters rushed passed as the escalator went up toward the street. Posters for shows went by. Maybe I’ll see Dreamgirls or Kinky Boots. Oh when is this Ricky Gervais performance? Not when I’m here. Okay.

I was back in London, a city I’ve visited for the third time. A few months ago I hadn’t planned on visiting London so soon after my last visit (in August). Then I won a two-night apartment stay with FG Properties through the travel blog Eternal Expat. With Ryanair Flights from Dublin being about €30 return I figured it was as good as an excuse as any to go back to London. While I want to visit many places while I’m living in Ireland, I couldn’t turn down a return visit and free stay in one of my favourite cities.

My recent trip to London was at a different time of year (spring) than my previous visits, and it was much cooler. I got to a different airport (Stansted instead of Gatwick) and stayed in a new neighbourhood (Kensington). Still, there is something familiar for me about coming to London. I should state that I am not a London expert who knows the city well, but there is something comfortable about returning to London. It’s a city I enjoy. Getting around is easy. It is expensive (though less so going from the Euro to the Pound rather than the Canadian Dollar to the Pound), but there are plenty of free or lower cost things to do. It has a lot of theatre (including musicals) to see. I love musicals.

London in the spring is quite lovely.

Before this trip, I still got pre-travel jitters as I do for all travel. That combination of restlessness about wanting to just be at a new place, and anxiety about how things will be when I arrive. Even though I am a pretty prepared traveler (packing well in advance, making sure I had all the documents I needed) I had a hard time sleeping the night before my flight. When I travel, I usually try to take public transit to the airport, but seeing that my flight was early in the morning (before the buses were running), I opted to use the services of Blacklane, a company that offers private ground transfers in a variety of cities around the world. The service was easy to use (booking online or through their app), with courtesy drivers and well-maintained vehicles. I would highly recommend them if you are looking for private ground transportation on your next trip. I would not have wanted to board two different buses to get to the airport after only having two hours of sleep.

That’s the thing though even though it was going back to a place I’d been before it was a different trip. A lot had happened in the nine years from when I first went to London (my first solo trip ever) to this most recent visit to London. There has been a lot of changes even from when I was in London last August and this trip. In August I was just getting ready to move from Canada to Ireland. Now I’ve been living in Dublin for seven months.

London has changed too. One evening I went to see a musical called The Wild Party at The Other Palace (that’s the name of the theatre). I got off at Victoria station and started walking around and couldn’t believe how different everything was. The first time I was in London for I stayed at a B&B not far from Victoria Station, so I got to know the area well. Now when I looked up I saw office buildings, and glass skyscrapers, and the NYC burger chain Steak & Shake. These weren’t there before. I wasn’t experiencing the London that I had experienced on my first trip. Cities change. People change. It’s one of the reasons why I don’t believe you should feel guilty for going back somewhere you love because every trip will be different. And in a city like London, you could come back several times and never see it all.

In that familiarity with returning to a new place, even with new perspectives and things to see is a possibility to get stuck. I’ve noticed I am a creature of habit since I’ve moved to Dublin. And with travel, as when I’m at home, I also get into a kind of routine. Get to apartment/hostel/hotel, take a walk, find a park, take pictures of ducks, eat some food at a random restaurant. Even with this visit I wandered into the National Portrait Gallery and thought this looks familiar before realising I had been there before (on both previous visits).

So I returned to London and had a pleasant stay. This trip to London won’t even be my final time because I’ll be going there again next year to see Hamilton with a couple of friends (which I’m so excited for). As much as I love returning to familiar places to see something new I know there’s also a complacency there. I don’t want to fall into the habit of returning to the same locations over and over and missing a chance to see something new. This last trip was somewhere familiar, but for my next destination, I want to go somewhere new.

Still, it’s nice to know I can always come back to London.

Disclaimer: Blacklane offered me a complimentary service of which I was very grateful to use. All opinions in this post are my own.